Arsenal’s Santi Cazorla out for three months after knee operation

"It’s not the season," said Arsene Wenger of Santi Cazorla’s knee injury. ‘It is at least three months out, maybe four.

Santi Cazorla has had surgery to repair the damage to his knee that he suffered in Arsenal’s 1-1 draw at Norwich City last weekend. Arsene Wenger confirmed the worst fears of both the player and his club when he said that the lateral collateral ligament had been ruptured.

Cazorla, who had consulted Dr Ramon Cugat, a leading knee specialist in his native Spain, opted to have the operation immediately, rather than wait for a second opinion. He is expected to be out for around four months.

"Santi wanted to have a chance to come back quickly so he didn’t want to last too long for 25 opinions," Wenger said. "He decided to go straight away. The guy said: ‘Look, it’s a clear case. It’s a rupture of the external knee ligament.’ And Santi said: ‘OK, let’s do it straight away.’ It’s not the season. It is at least three months out, maybe four."

Alexis Sanchez was also injured at Norwich, pulling up with hamstring trouble, and Wenger has given him permission to return to his native Chile for the first phase of his rehabilitation. He will be out for three to four weeks. The Arsenal manager, though, dismissed concerns that the 15-hour flight from London to Santiago might not be the best thing for somebody with a muscle problem.

"No, no," Wenger said. :He’s used to working there with the national team physio. I think it will have a double benefit. He will not be miserable here and he will be well treated there. And it will give him a kind of mid-season break, which is what you [journalists] all wanted."

Wenger was able to welcome back Theo Walcott as a 64th-minute substitute in Saturday’s 3-1 home win over Sunderland, after six weeks out with a hamstring tear, which was a boost for Wednesday’s Champions League decider at Olympiakos. Wenger will, however, be without the injured Francis Coquelin, Jack Wilshere, Mikel Arteta, Tomas Rosicky and Danny Welbeck, as they look to match or better the Greek side’s 3-2 win in London.